News

Ridge Meadows to battle United for Women's Second Division Championship on Saturday

Published Wednesday, May 1, 2013

by Andrew Smith, BC Rugby Communications

VANCOUVER, BC - The undefeated Ridge Meadows Bruins will scrum down against United Rugby Club on Saturday, May 4th in the Women's Langara Fishing Adventures Division Two provincial final. The two sides will be contesting for the Ged Griffith's Cup in a match set for 11:30am at Stanley Park's Brockton Oval.

Match PreviewThe Bruins eliminated defending champs Burnaby Lake in a 17-10 semifinal last week and will look to carry the momentum into saturday's clash.

"We have always been seen as the underdogs and I think this is the first year that we have been able to make a statement and put some threat behind our name as a team," said Ridge Meadows Captain Larissa Chatt. "This is the first year ever that we have gone undefeated and been ranked no.1 in our division going into the final."

The club that draws its player base from Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge started the season on the back foot as their first two opponents defaulted matches, seeing them start their spring campaign later than most of their opponents. The squad hasn't looked back, however, posting four straight wins and leading the league offensively with an average of 37 points per game.

"Dawne Carver, Lindsay HIll and [myself] have been our top scorers this year and have been able to pull out two to three tries per game. Bri Railian has stepped it up in kicking conversions finishing off our point scoring," added Chatt.

The coaching staff led by Jeremy Jakobsze, Malcom Knox and Alison Granholm have played key roles in the team's recent success. It's been quite a run for Chatt who was a founding member of the team during the 2001-02 season.

"I was one of the original girls who started the team and it has been a crazy journey to get the team to this point. I really feel like we have grown into a family and this is the first year where we all seem to be pushing harder for that extra mile," added Chatt.

This weekend's final will be against Coquitlam-based United Rugby Club, a team who last lifted the Ged Griffith's Cup in 2010. Their program is led by Steph Murphy, who coached the Fraser Valley senior women's rep side to a Ruth Hellerud-Brown provincial title this past February.

"This is the first year that I feel like winning is well within reach and I want all the girls to come out confident, but not arrogant," added Chatt. "This isn't the game for silly mistakes. We need to keep it clean and make smart decisions."

The Division Two Final will be followed by the Women's Division One Karen Moore Cup Final at 1:15pm. The match will feature top-ranked Kamloops Rugby Club and the Nanaimo Hornets.